A young soldier used the prestige of his uniform to manipulate a 14-year-old girl on social networks and sexually assault her on several occasions. Alexandre Matheussen risks three and a half years in prison, despite his high risk of recidivism.
What there is to know
- Alexandre Matheussen was a corporal in the Canadian Forces Reserve when he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.
- The parties suggest a sentence of three and a half years in penitentiary. The consequences are dramatic for the victim.
“I thought it was safe to talk to him: a military man. This has everything to convince us that we are safe. He did everything to convince me that he was a good guy. He used my vulnerability to his advantage. He is supposed to protect people, not abuse their trust, manipulate them and break them,” said the teenager in a poignant letter read in the courtroom Thursday during observations on her attacker’s sentence.
Alexandre Matheussen, a 22-year-old corporal in the Canadian Forces Reserve, was arrested in January 2022 while he was in the middle of a vaccination operation. Since relieved of his duties, he pleaded guilty last May to counts of sexual contact and luring.
The Montrealer started chatting with the victim, then aged 13, on the application Snapchat. The predator described to the teenager the degrading gestures he would like to see her do and asked for photos of her. He also sent her photos of his penis.
In the summer of 2021, Alexandre Matheussen met the victim in person. He even goes to pick her up at her house. He takes advantage of these car trips to attack the teenager. Once, in a dead end street, he insists on having a penetrative relationship, but the girl constantly refuses. He then pulls her hair and forces her to perform oral sex on him.
“What he did to me does not define me”
These attacks left a lasting mark on the adolescent: loss of confidence in men, disordered sexuality, loss of appetite, nightmares, difficulties at school, etc. In addition, she contracted an STI (sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection).
“I perceive judgment from others when I talk about it. This comes with a lot of questions, and I feel like I have to explain myself. It shouldn’t be me who explains myself and relives the attacks over and over again. I realize it’s not my fault, but his. What he did to me does not define me and will never define me,” the teenager concludes in her letter.
The parties suggested to Judge Pierre E. Labelle a sentence of three and a half years in penitentiary. “Everyone has put water in their wine,” illustrated the Crown prosecutor, Mr.e Jérôme Laflamme. In his eyes, this sentence is reasonable given the accused’s admission of guilt – which avoided a trial – and his lack of prior record.
As an aggravating factor, the prosecutor particularly considers the still “high” risk of recidivism of Alexandre Matheussen, according to a report. “It’s nothing to reassure,” M even added.e The flame.
The defense lawyer, Mr.e Michael Morena, stressed that his client had expressed regret for his actions and demonstrated a certain awareness.
The judge will make his decision in two weeks. He ordered the immediate incarceration of Alexandre Matheussen.